God's Call

2011-03-29T20:52:00.000-07:00

MIA We all have been Missing In Action because we have had so much action in our busy lives this past year. Our kids are all getting older and our lives are more full.

We continue to seek God and desire His will for our lives and every area in ministry. We believe in God's promises to us in His Word:

". . .being confident of this, that He who began a good work in your will carry it on to completion until the day of Jesus Christ." Philippians 1:6

"Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ." Phil 1:27

"Join with others in following my example, brothers (& sisters), and take note of those who live according to the pattern we gave you." Phil 3:17

"So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in Him, rooted and built up in Him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness."

These are just a few verses we desire to live out and see others live out as well, all to the glory of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior. We are open to the leading of the Holy Spirit and to the places God Calls us to go: whether as a group or as individuals. As Christ is at the center, we know that every opportunity to praise God's Name is a complete blessing. We pray you have been blessed this past year!

2011-03-29T20:23:00.000-07:00

Heart of a Princess: 2010
Heart of a Princess: an event put together by a group of high school and college girls and a few adults for teenage girls. Last May, 250 girls attended both Friday and Saturday nights and God's truth was shared. We laughed and cried and we drew closer to God!

Our goal was to have an event to share God's truth with girls and also discuss the struggles and temptations they face and give them hope in Jesus. Ontario Christian HS graciously offered their chapel and it was the perfect setting for this event.
We had 4 main speakers, 4 interviews, amazing worship, a panel answering questions submitted by the girls in the audience, discussion time (the girls answered questions about the topics spoken on) and raffles with giveaways! We had a couple sponsors that helped make this event even better: c28 Clothing (they donated a lot of NOTW shirts), Chick-Fil-A (donated sweet tea), and Stater Bros. (donated water). We also had a table from the Women's Care Center at this event.

It was so fun to have such a great "Team" for this entire event. The High School girls did a great job being leaders, working at registration tables, coordinating, giving interviews, working the slides for the screen, and much more! Karissa was our MC and she is a college student. She was a natural on stage. I loved every aspect of this event! Our interviews (Cassie, Olivia, Jessica (my sister-in-law) and Bridget) were all so transparent as they shared from their hearts.

Two people that God used to help get girls to this event by supporting it were Pastor Jack Hibbs (Calvary Chapel Chino Hills) and O.C.H.S. Principal, Mr. Hoekstra. I am so grateful for their support and getting behind an event that will encourage these young ladies! God gets all the glory! He is so good. He showed up in so many ways!

Having a Heart of a Princess includes:

True Beauty

Lasting Joy

Being Authentic

Healthy Relationships

Positive Self Image

Finding Identity in Christ Jesus

Purity

True Worship

Complete Surrender

Singing God's Praises

Recongizing you are not alone

Overcoming Obstacles

Being Obedient

Allowing God to use you and your story

Making Good Choices

Recognizing the enemy's tricks

Refusing to compromise, even in the little things

Being Blessed

Living in Victory, Now and Forever through Jesus Christ

Serving God together

Thank you to ALL who helped, attended and prayed for
this event! God was present and He gets all the GLORY!

duh!

2010-05-03T17:12:00.000-07:00

I did it again! This morning I got my cup of coffee and sat down in my office to spend some time in the Word before my busy day began. Problem #1: My computer is in my office. Problem #2: The little voice inside my head that says, "Just check your emails really quick." Problem #3: I usually listen to the little voice. And more often than not, get caught up in answering the emails, checking the new online Target weekly add and so on and on......
So this morning, I was so mad at myself because the quick check turned into 30 minutes wasted time and I had to get my kids up and ready for school, without any time being spent with my Jesus!
So as I was preparing lunches for the day, God caused this amazing wealth of wisdom to come into my brain!

"Don't sit down to read your bible in front of the computer!" Duh!! :)

Proverbs 17:24 (New Living Translation)
Sensible people keep their eyes glued on wisdom,
but a fool’s eyes wander to the ends of the earth. Or all over the internet, or to all the latest sales, or to primetime television. (The last part I added, obviously)
I don't know about you, but I don't want to be a fool! I don't want to allow my wandering eyes to keep me from being sensible. Not that shopping or tv or Facebook is bad. But if put in priority over the Lord, IT IS!
So I had to take this truth (common sense) that the Lord gave me and evaluate myself. Do you have any area in your life that you need to do the same? I dare you to do it.
And tomorrow morning, I will be settled with my Bible and coffee on the couch in my living room! :)
May God shower His love on you today.
Mariah

Pictures from Shoreline Retreat

2010-05-02T12:45:00.000-07:00

This weekend we spoke at Shoreline Women's Spring
Retreat. We were so grateful for the opportunity
to speak to these women about "Growing Deeper".

We were able to take some pictures of the event.
Sorry if anybody was left out! We tried to get
pictures of all of these "new friends!"

We were so happy that two of our friends who
cover us in prayer, Karin and Kristi, could
be there with us.

Dawnielle was the MC for the event and we loved
her spirit! You could see how much she loves
Jesus and was the perfect MC.

Alisa started off the Retreat on Friday night and
spoke about "Preparing the Soil". She spoke about
engaging Jesus and cleaning out things that get in
the way of your relationship with our Loving God.

Mariah played some special music for the event.

Mariah spoke Saturday morning about "Protecting your
Garden" from the pests that can slowly creep in.
The two main areas of attack in our spiritual lives
are our enemy, Satan, and also our flesh. We need
to take up our weapon: the sword of the Spirit, which
is the Word of God and protect our hearts.

Zsanae spoke on "Nutrients needed for Growth" and
talked all about who God is and knowing His truth.
We first need to surrender, and know God's Word
so we can plant new seeds of truth. We need to
learn the names of God and have intimate prayer
lives. When we do that, we will realize that
we serve a BIG God and anything is possible with
Him!

Leah spoke on "Flourishing in the Garden" God's ways.
We can only flourish when we abide in Christ- stay
connected and close to Him. If we prepare the soil,
protect our hearts from the enemies, get news seeds
of truth as our nutrients, the result will be flourishing
for God. He created us to thrive and flourish!

We had awesome worship from with this worship
team pictured below.

We had lunch and dinner in this tent outside. The
food was delicios.

They had some skits that related to each topic
that were very funny. We are bummed we didn't
get any pictures of that.

We had great fellowship as we met new people.

It was a beautiful day in San Clemente and for
some group discussions we went outside to enjoy
the great weather.

We had the opportunity to be prayed over
by the intercessory prayer team at Heritage Church.
We were so blessed by that opporutnity along
with many of the women attending this retreat.

We saw the body of Christ working together as Heritage
Church allowed Shoreline to have this event in their
facility.

We were able to take communion together and come
before the Lord for cleansing and renewing.

We were able to listen to women share what God had
spoken to them during this retreat. This is one of
our favorite parts- to hear how God moves!

Even though we came to speak, we were ministered
to by the Lord. That will always happen to anyone
who is seeking the Lord.

We praised God together as we lifted our voices up
in worship.

A HUGE Thank You to the TEAM who put this event
together. All of us agree that this is one of
the best we've been to (speaking or attending).
We are sisters in the Lord and He received the
glory due to Him throughout this event.

Let's continue to grow deeper in Christ!

We'd love to hear from you if you attended the
event! Please post any comments you have.

Shoreline Women's Spring Retreat

2010-04-12T21:58:00.001-07:00

We are getting excited about our upcoming speaking
opportunity at Shoreline Women's Spring Retreat.
The event is being hosted at Heritage Christian
Fellowship in San Clemente. The theme of this
retreat is "Growing Deeper". Isn't that what all
of us as Christians desire- to grow deeper? We will
all have as much of God as we want of Him. The more
time we spend with Him, the more we will experience
of Him in our lives. The more we read our Bibles,
the more we will know the truth and be able to see
what is not true. The more time we spend in prayer,
the closer we will grow to our Father. The closer
we grow to our Father, the more like Him we will
become. We are excited about this opportunity to
encourage others to grow deeper in love with the
Lord and to live out His Call for each of our lives.
We know we will be ministered to as we minister to
others.

Click HERE for all the info.

The event is in a couple weeks:
Friday April 30: 6-9pm
Saturday May 1: 9am-9pm

We would love your prayers for each of us as we
share what God has put on our hearts with these
women! We would love to see you there!

The Body of Christ: Video Blog

2010-03-01T13:19:00.000-08:00

Hope this blesses you! God has a position for you
that no one else can fill.

How Do You Trust?

2010-02-21T20:17:00.000-08:00

How Do You Trust?

A friend recently asked me about a post I wrote a
while back. Here is the portion her question was
referring to:

"Handing over our worries, cares and treasures
to Him is the way to receive His gifts. Do you
trust Him, do you love Him? Do you really? Do
you know that what He has to give far outweighs
what you are holding in your flesh? It is through
Him alone that we receive what we need. He is
our Source. In Isaiah 58 the Lord declares,
“For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither
are your ways My ways.” Letting (fill in your
own blank) go and giving it away to God shows
that we love Him, that we depend on Him, that
we trust Him. “Trust in the LORD forever, for
the LORD, the LORD, is the Rock eternal.”
Isaiah 26:4

Her question is this: How do you do that...
how do you let it all go? Trust with such passion?

I loved her question. I love hearing great insight
and scripture for living; but I am the type of person
that needs the real life application that goes with
the lesson or encouragement. I welcomed her question
and went before the Lord in prayer to guide my response.
I pray that God's truth, mercy and love touches you in a
personal way as you read the following.

First of all, I cannot do it on my own, not in my own
flesh. This comes from the power of the Holy Spirit.
My part is to surrender to Him. Then I ask Him to fill
me. The surrender part comes because of my trust in God;
and trust comes from looking back in my life and seeing
all the times He has proved to be who He claims to be.
I also look in the Bible. The more I study, the more I
see His character and that His nature is perfect and ALWAYS
loving to His children. His love for us is so incomprehensible.
There is an element of faith that comes into play too. There
comes points in all that we do where we put forth a portion
of faith: getting on a plane, getting into a car, even sitting
on a chair. You have faith in all of that. That the pilot can
really fly the plane, that other drivers will obey the traffic
rules, that the four legs are sturdy enough to hold you...
know what I mean. We practice faith all the time, but for
some reason we hold back more with God. They say that if you
believe Gen 1:1 the rest of the Bible should be easy to believe.

I trust with such a passion because I choose to
believe that God is true to who He claims to be.
That doesn't mean that I don't fail in that though.
There are times when I need to fall on my face at
His feet, ask for forgiveness for my lack of faith
and then ask Him to help me. When you fall back on
truth, and who He is....He is the creator of all,
He knows the end from the beginning, so He knows
what is the best route for me, I need to trust
that and call on Him for direction, wisdom, giftings,
whatever it is He has for me. I don't want to miss
any of it.

Now in all this, satan is going to attack you.
But if you know that you are in a battle up front,
grab your armor (Eph 6) and suit up for the fight
(which by the way has already been won!). Then you
will be more equipped and not fall into the traps.
If you do fall, pray and let God lift you back up.
Fight the enemy with truth. Just as Jesus did when
satan tempted him in the desert. He fought back with
the truth of God's word.

I love these conversations because it reminds me
that we are here to encourage one another in the
Lord and it keeps our focus on Him. We praise you
and love you Lord!

Living with Truth and choosing JOY,
Habakkuk 3:18-19
Zsanae Miller

Light in the midst of the storm

2010-02-06T00:14:00.000-08:00

About a year ago, I was driving to our church
and it started pouring rain. I mean POURING,
or you could say DUMPING rain on our car. I
was with my boys and I was at a stop light with
both hands gripping the steering wheel, wanting
to get to our destination safe and sound. It
was the kind of rain where you can't see out
your window even with the windshield wipers on
full speed.

We prayed that we would be safe and as we
turned down the street where our church was located,
the brightest light was shining through the
darkest clouds. It was so BRIGHT I couldn't
look straight at it. It was a ray of sun through
a small area of clouds that had parted.

Immediately I thought about how many times in
our lives when we go through struggles, and when
everything around us seems like it's crumbling,
we are able to see God like never before. Those
are the times when many people meet God for the first
time or learn how trustworthy our Heavenly Father
truly is. Many times it's in the dark times that
we become fearful and discouraged and we look to
God and see the light that only He can bring into
our lives. We are reminded that Light will overcome
the darkness and we have reason to hope. We are
reminded to keep our eyes focused UP, on the Living
God because when we look around us, the answers are
not there.

We pulled into the parking lot and just over the church
was half of a rainbow. I was able to talk to Jake,
my 8-yr-old son, about how God will always keep His
promises and the rainbow is a reminder of that truth.

I am so thankful for the Word of God that sets my
foundation on the truth of who God is and what He
is like. Jesus Christ is the light that was sent
into the world to overcome the darkness. No matter
what storms we go through in life, if we look to
God and cling to His truth, we will see His Light!

John 1:9: "The true light that gives light to every
man was coming into the world."

John 8:12: "When Jesus spoke again to the people,
he said, 'I am the light of the world. Whoever
follows me will never walk in darkness, but will
have the light of life."

Living by faith,
Leah Amico
(also posted on www.leah20.blogspot.com)

God- Please Fill Me Up

2010-01-28T12:28:00.000-08:00

As I was leaving the gas station after filling my
car up, I had what I would call a "God-Thought".
I get many of these analogies and I'm not thinking
this way- they just come to me. I believe it's
just the way God speaks to me and gives me things
to relate to His truths.

So I was leaving with a FULL tank of gas after getting
down to about 10 miles left with gas. I know how much
was left because my car tells me the number of miles
on my dashboard. I felt like God was showing me that
when people start to fall away from God it is a slow
fade. They probably know they aren't as close to God
because they aren't reading their Bibles, going to
church, praying, and so on. But they are able to go
on just like they normally do. Eventually they get
less and less of God until all of the sudden, they
are completely empty and things fall apart. Our cars
will drive until they are completely empty, then they
just won't go any further. We become "empty" and our
need to be filled up with God is the only way to get
back onto the right path.

After church last night I felt like another meaning
was there as well. The message was all about who
the Holy Spirit is and the power we have from the
Holy Spirit. We need to ask God daily to fill us
up with His Holy Spirit. This is different from
the Holy Spirit living in us. Many times in the
New Testament the Holy Spirit came upon people and
they spoke God's Word with boldness. There were
also other gifts that came from the Holy Spirit
and allowed Jesus' followers to minister to others
in different ways. We need to be "FILLED UP" with
the Holy Spirit to accomplish what God has for us.
We need to ask God to fill us up and to direct us
in His will for our lives. Obedience and submission
will lead to blessing and a life that can be used
by God. Just like we need to keep filling up our
cars, we need to ask God to keep FILLING US UP with
His Holy Spirit!

Leah Amico

"The Lord is My Shepherd"

2010-01-17T21:36:00.001-08:00

Our Bible has many references about shepherds
and sheep. We know that David was a shepherd
as a young boy and then God called him to be
the Shepherd over His people, Israel. The Bible
also tells us that God is the "Good Shepherd" and
David is quoted in Psalm 23, "The Lord is my Shepherd."

As I was reflecting on the idea of God being our
Shepherd, I started to think about how important
it is to stay with the other sheep and close to
the "Shepherd" so He can protect you. When a
sheep wanders, there is the chance that they will
become lost, or even worse, they could become
prey. The Bible tells us "Be sober, be vigilant;
because your adversary the devil walks about like
a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour" 1 Pet 5:8.

A true shepherd would give his life for his flock
and that's exactly what God did when He sent Jesus
to die for our sins. Even with our salvation secure,
we need to stay close so that we are protected by
God. The devil will try to isolate us from the
flock (other believers) and try to get us to not
believe God's truth so that he can destroy our lives.
Stand secure in your faith, read your Bible so you
can know the truth, and believe God's promises that
he is not just another shepherd- but He is the GOOD
SHEPHERD who KNOWS His sheep, LOVES His sheep, HELPS
His sheep and SPEAKS to His sheep.

Stay close to the flock- get plugged in at a solid
church that teaches God's Word as the final authority.
Find a mentor or be a mentor: God will grow you in
either position! Pray so you can have conversations
with God and allow Him to change the areas that do
not line up with His will for us. Step out in faith
by obediently following what you believe God has
called you to do. Always remember: never stop following
the Good Shepherd.

John 10:4: "And when he brings out his own sheep, he goes
before them; and the sheep follow him, for they know
his voice."

John 10:14: "I am the good shepherd; and I know My [sheep],
and am known by My own."

Matthew 9:36: "But when He saw the multitudes, He
was moved with compassion for them, because they
were weary and scattered, like sheep having no shepherd."

John Piper on Finding Your Niche

2010-01-07T21:20:00.000-08:00

This really spoke to me. The Bible tells us that
there is a purpose and a plan for each of our lives.
Sometimes it's hard to know what that plan actually
is. The gifts we have been given by God will show
up in our talents as we step forward in opportunities
that come before us. This short clip talks about
this topic as well.

Hear it, Live it, Share Him!

2009-12-21T20:44:00.000-08:00

Luke 2 in the Bible gives us the story of Jesus'
birth. There were shepherds out in the fields
and an angel spoke to them and said (v.10-11),
"Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good
tidings of great joy which will be to ALL people.
For there is born to you this day in the city of
David, a Savior, who is Christ the Lord".

Jesus was sent for ALL people- to forgive
everyone of their sins if they will just come
to Him.

After the angel spoke, there was a heavenly
host singing and praising God! Then the
angels were gone. What would you have done
if you had just seen this? Do you ever think
about that? Would you think you just had a
dream? Would you be afraid to talk about it
because others might call you crazy? Or would
you do what the shepherds did and "hurry up" and
go find this Jesus that the angel was talking
about?

They talked and decided they should travel and
see what God had shown them. Verse 16 says that
"they came with haste (swiftness of motion, speed,
urgent need of quick action) and found Mary and
Joseph, and the Babe lying in a manger."

When God makes something known to us, we need to
come with haste to Him by reading the Bible or
praying! He will make Himself known just like He
did to those shepherds.

Verse 17: "Now when they had seen [Him], they made
widely known the saying which was told them
concerning this Child."

They saw Jesus and even though He was just a baby
boy in a dirty manger, they knew that they had just
seen the Messiah sent to save the world. They couldn't
keep it a secret! They made it widely known. When
we experience the greatness of God and know Jesus in
a deeply personal way, we will not be able to keep
quiet about it! We will make it widely known too!

Verse 18: "And all those who heard [it] marveled
at those things which were told them by the shepherds."

As you share your heart and they see that you really
have been changed by the Lord and Savior of the world,
they will marvel at what you tell them, just like
those who heard from the shepherds. Remember- it
all started by "hearing", then "seeing and believeing"
then "sharing"! We can live out the Christmas story
this same way!

Merry Christmas

2009-12-14T08:21:00.000-08:00

We all want to wish you a very Merry Christmas
as we celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ.
The story in Luke Chapter 2 in the Bible
gives us details of that amazing day that
God gave the world the greatest gift of
all time! Through Jesus, we have access to
the Father and through faith in Him, we receive
eternal life.

I want to point out this part: As an angel appeared
to shepherds out in the fields, the Bible says
that "the glory of the Lord shone around them
and they were greatly afraid". Then the angel
told them not to be afraid, that there was
good news for the whole world! Verse 11 says:

"For there is born to you this day in the city
of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord."

This is what our faith is all about: Jesus
Christ: Savior, Christ and Lord! Praying
Jesus will shine his perfect love and grace
upon you this Christmas and always!

Merry Christmas!

Open Hands

2009-10-29T11:15:00.000-07:00

While driving in my car one morning in
Southern California, I needed to reach
over my shoulder and get something that
my daughter was trying to hand to me.
It was then that I noticed my hands had
been tightly clinched to the steering
wheel. In order to “receive” what she was giving
to me, I had to let go and open my clenched hand
(of course, only one hand. After all, I was driving!)
Through this simple transaction God brought a picture
to me of how we are to be walking through our day.

He said to me, “How do you receive?” In an instant,
a picture of open hands stretched out appeared in
my mind. How do you receive a present, a hug, a
sweet picture drawn by a child? We do that with
open hands stretched out. That is how we receive.

Now what if our hands are clenched so tight,
desperately holding on to whatever it is in
life that we haven’t let go of. Are you holding
onto a grudge, a hurt, or bitterness? Are you
holding onto your past? What about material
possessions, money, your position in a career?
When God offers to us the mercy, the strength,
the forgiveness, are we able to accept it? Not
if our hands are already full of stuff. Do we
trust that what He has to offer is better than
what we have clenched in our grips?

Handing over our worries, cares and treasures
to Him is the way to receive His gifts. Do you
trust Him, do you love Him? Do you really? Do
you know that what He has to give far outweighs
what we are holding in our flesh? It is through
Him alone that we receive what we need. He is
our Source. In Isaiah 58 the Lord declares,
“For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither
are your ways My ways.” Letting (fill in your
own blank) go and giving it away to God shows
that we love Him, that we depend on Him, that
we trust Him. “Trust in the LORD forever, for
the LORD, the LORD, is the Rock eternal.”
Isaiah 26:4

Zsanae

A Personal God

2009-10-25T17:02:00.000-07:00

Jeremiah 33:3: "'Call to Me, and I will
answer you, and show you great and mighty
things, which you do not know.'

I am thankful that the God of the Bible,
the Creator of the Universe, the One who
gives us our very breath and knows the
number of our days, is a PERSONAL God!
He is not a God that we can only wonder
about, He is a God who reveals Himself
to us in many different ways. Study
God's Word if you feel like you don't know
who God is and what He is like. If you
are truly seeking God, He will make Himself
known through the Holy Spirit.

What I wanted to highlight about this verse
is the fact that He tells ALL of us (that
means YOU too) to CALL to Him. His promise
is that He will show YOU, yep- YOU, great
and mighty things. He doesn't say, "I'll
show your pastor, I'll show that Professor,
I'll show somebody who is much more godly
than you." God says, "I (the Living God)
will show YOU, but you need to CALL to Me."

How do we know He is personal? Well, when
He shows us those great and mighty things
(when a verse pops us over and over in
Bible study, then in church, then on the
radio, we realize- God is giving me that
verse for a reason)(or when somebody is on
your heart and you just can't shake it, and
you reach out to them and realize they really
needed to talk)(or when God teaches you a
lesson and you finally GET IT, you want to
jump for joy and say, "OK God, you TAUGHT
ME, I get it now!!!), just to name a few
examples, you know God is working. He is
speaking to you directly and specifically.

Have you ever been excited and shared what God
was showing you and not gotten back the response
you would have liked? Have you ever thought,
don't they get how big this is? Before I
might have been bummed out that somebody wasn't
as excited about the lesson God taught me, until
I realized that the message was for ME! Not
for them, but for ME!!! Now I rejoice that it
wasn't received in the same intensity or excitement,
because My Father in Heaven was speaking to
ME personally. He reveals Himself in unique
ways to us, always lining up with the Bible
and always in truth. It is always amazing
to realize how much God cares for us individually,
and yet He created the entire world and every single
person in it!

Reason to Rejoice

2009-10-23T16:33:00.000-07:00

Romans 8:1
"There is therefore now NO condemnation to
those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not
walk according the to flesh, but according
to the Spirit"

I love this verse!!! It gives us reason
to have hope, and reason to rejoice!!!
Life is hard and can get complicated at
times, but we need to make sure we never
accept condemnation in our lives! That is
not from God, it is from the enemy. As
children of God, we walk according to the
Spirit because we are IN Christ Jesus.
In John 15, Jesus says, "Abide in Me,
and I in you." This verse, along with
Romans 8:1, reminds me to cling to God's
truth and not listen to any "condemning"
thoughts that I might get.

As we stay close to God,
He will give us His peace and His joy,
and we will be reminded that we are
made in His image!

Preparing for God's Calling

2009-10-01T16:47:00.001-07:00

God has a plan for us, we read in Jeremiah 29:11.
Many times we find ourselves wondering what that
calling is and when is it going to take place.
First and foremost, we need to walk daily in
obedience to God. If we do that, we can trust
that we are in the will of God. I know some
passions that the Lord has given me and sometimes
I catch myself asking, "God, when are you going
show me the plan for my life?" Then I remember,
that plan is a daily plan, not just some big
event that is waiting to take place down the
road. I am also reminded, that daily God is
preparing us (if we are willing to be prepared
by Him) for what He has next. I was encouraged
by these verses today:

Psalm 78:70-72
"He (God) also chose David His servant,
And took him from the sheepfolds;
From following the ewes that had
young He (God) brought him.,
To shepherd Jacob His people,
And Israel His inheritance.
So he shepherded them according to
the integrity in his heart,
And guided them by the skillfulness of
his hands."

God chose David and brought Him into the
calling for His life. God chooses us and
will bring us into His calling for our lives.
Even if God hadn't called David to be the
king of Israel, David was honoring God by
the integrity in his heart, even as a shepherd
to a flock of sheep. God knew He could trust
David with His flock (God's children). God
will prepare us and use us but we need to
trust Him and learn from Him. David also
guided the Israelites by the skillfulness
of his hands. Remember that our talents
come from God and He will allow us to use them.
Let's live lives of integrity and trust that in
God's timing, He will continue to unfold
His plan in our lives. Let's trust God
in the good times and the hard times. To
God be the glory!

God is the Best Doctor

2009-09-13T14:41:00.000-07:00

I was thinking about how we go to the Doctor to get help
when we have a sickness that is beyond our fixing. Or we
go to the doctor when we have pain and we don’t know
where it’s coming from. Another reason we go to the doctor
is when we break a bone or to see if it’s broken or not. I don’t
know if you rush to the doctor right away when your little one
gets a fever or a cough (unless it’s your first child right?!), but
after you’ve had more than one child, you “wait” and see how
the Tylenol works. You wait to see if you can keep the fever
below 102˚. At least this is what I do. If I can keep a handle
on it, I would rather figure it out. Get out some cold washcloths,
drink lots of liquids and pray. I only go to the doctor if I can’t fix
it myself.
I started thinking about how this can look in our spiritual lives. We
can tend to think we are doing alright as long as it’s not urgent- as
long as it’s not an emergency and in need of rushing to the
emergency room! We can be hurting, sad, bitter, angry, envious,
prideful or judgmental, but even to the smallest degree, these
are all sicknesses. In fact, we were born sick, and in need of a
doctor- “The” Doctor- The Master Physician: Jesus Christ. This
doctor has ALL the answers to staying healthy, and if we will listen
and learn and remember to come to Him constantly, we will find
healing and stay healthly! My heart is to honor God, and yet I
find that these little sicknesses constantly pop up in my life.
I also find that if I don’t acknowledge my sickness (sin in
my life), then it gets worse. I am only reminded how sick I
am when I have my visit to THE doctor. It’s in this time that
I spend praying or reading my Bible or asking for the healing
medicine (Jesus’ forgiveness through his blood on the cross)
that I remember that I can be healed instantly.
I’m talking about our spiritual lives & we can’t get healthy
on our own,no matter how hard we try. Even with the greatest
intentions and the best effort, we need to be forgiven by Jesus,
the true Healer and Redeemer. Let’s make sure to visit our
Master Physician on a regular basis and we will be as healthy
as can be!

Matthew 9:12: "Jesus said, "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick."

seasons

2009-09-12T16:11:00.001-07:00

I am soooooo done with summer! I can't wait for the days of chilly mornings, falling leaves, scarves, hot coffee and a good book with my fireplace glowing. Ahhhhhh, can't you smell something yummy baking in the oven? In fact, the other day I was so ready for Fall to be here that I actually baked some pumpkin muffins. Then suffered for the rest of the day because I broke the cardinal rule of NO OVEN during the summer.
I was thinking about seasons and how it is so awesome that the Lord gave us seasons to mirror our lives. Isn't it so true that we pass from one period to another in our lives, just as the earth goes through a changing of seasons. Funny thing about seasons though, it seems we are never quite content in the one we are in. For a while maybe, then we start itching to be in the next one. We love the summer when it comes, but toward the end, we long for a day without heat and enormous air conditioning bills. And the winter brings joys of Christmastime and family gatherings, but eventually we long to sit in solitude and not constantly have another party to go to. This is also true with the seasons of our lives.
I don't know what season you are going through right now. It may be one of joy, and for that I rejoice. But it may also be one of sorrow and pain, perhaps waiting or longing. For you, I have this thought.
Jesus, experienced this too. And for Him, I can only imagine how difficult it was. He experienced a season of time on this planet that lasted about 30 years. Imagine, our Savior, who never before had been held captive by time, having to live minute by minute, hour by hour, year by year. I am so grateful that the Bible reminds us that He is our great High Priest who is able to sympathize with us because He experienced all that we have on this planet. Hebrews 4:13-15
If you are in a season that you are desperate to get out of, I would say ths to you. Call on the loving name of Jesus because He has been there! Only in Him can you find peace, and only in Him can you find joy in the middle of life's most difficult seasons.
Praying for you,
Mariah

Are you taking up your cross?

2009-09-07T22:15:00.000-07:00

In Matthew 16:24, Jesus says, “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself, take up His cross and follow me.” I have heard that all of my life. Growing up in the church means that you hear a lot of scriptures, A LOT of times. It is one that I have quoted to people and one that I have even put on my refrigerator. I have known in my head what this means, but recently, God showed it to my spirit.
I was talking to God on the way home from church the other day. We had just had a great service where Jesus’ name was lifted high. Passion was stirring in me and I wanted so badly for God to have every area of my life. The reality is though, that certain areas are always hard to give up, and just because we say that we want God to have them, doesn’t mean we won’t snatch them back when it gets uncomfortable. (Anyone know what I’m talking about?) Being aware of this, I openly confessed to God, “Lord, I know that until I am made perfect in heaven, I have this flesh that is bent toward sin. I hate it, but I have to carry it with me, so would you please help me?”
A few minutes later, Mt. 16:24 came to my mind. I thought about it for a few minutes. I mean, I REALLY thought about it. This is what we call “meditating” on scripture. Focused, directed thought, put toward understanding God’s Word is usually always rewarded with a greater knowledge and understanding, making the words more than just words, but life to us. This is what the Lord showed me.
Have you ever carried something really heavy? I don’t mean for a second, but for a sustained amount of time? I will never forget the time that I “tried” to carry in a new couch with my husband that we had just bought. It was just a loveseat actually, how heavy could it be? BUT, it was a loveseat with recliners, making it twice as heavy as it looked. As soon as we got it out of the truck and started walking, I knew I was in trouble. After what felt like ages, we finally got to the door, and realized that we would have to flip the couch on its side to get it in. I will spare you the rest of the story and just tell you……it didn’t end well.
When we are carrying something heavy, all of our attention is focused on just that, how heavy it is! We aren’t thinking about what we will eat for lunch, or what time we are going to go to bed. Nothing but the weight we are carrying.
Let’s look back at the verse. When Jesus says that we are to take up our cross and follow Him, how in the world did I ever miss the fact that it would be heavy? But here is the beauty of it. When I choose to pick up my cross and follow after Jesus, my mind is going to be so intently alert at the assignment of following Him, that I will have little attention to give anything else.
This brought me so much freedom because now, I saw the answer to how I had to handle my flesh. Instead of carrying around the arduous task of trying so hard not to sin, I now saw that when my mind is intent on carrying my cross and following Jesus, I just won’t sin.
Now it would be nice if our Christian walk could be like everything else in our culture today, quick and convenient! Put in your hour on Sunday morning, pray before dinner, maybe read a verse or two a couple of times a week, and viola, life is easy as pie! We have bought into this lie for way to long my friends, myself included!
Although completely worth it, carrying our cross means denying ourselves. Denying that very strong fleshly, childish, selfish nature that we all have with us in these bodies. And sometimes, it hurts. So don’t think that it is lightly that I say, “I just won’t sin if I am carrying my cross.” But, if I am carrying my cross and following after Jesus, carefully placing my feet in the dusty imprints of my leader, cautious to not get too far behind and diligent in recording His every move, my flesh won’t be afforded much thought. Oh the victory that comes through that.
So what does this look like? It begins with conversing with God through prayer, reading the Bible, meditating on it and memorizing it. Unless we know who Jesus is, how can we follow Him? I promise you this, (even though I may have just freaked you out,) you will find that carrying your cross is not only the heaviest thing you have ever carried, but also the one thing that you would never dream of putting down. Psalm 34:15 tells us that “The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and His ears are attentive to their cry.” Rich blessing follows us when we decide to forsake all for the glory of living for Him.

Mariah

2009-09-02T12:46:00.000-07:00

Have you ever raised your hands in worship? Or maybe you have been in a church service where people lifted their hands while singing and it made you uncomfortable. Perhaps it could even be that you would like to lift up your hands while you sing, but don’t really understand what it means, so you hold back. I shared this thought on one reason we lift our hands in worship at the Unmasked conference at Crossroads Christian Church in March, but I have recently been asked about this topic a lot, so I thought that I would write it down.
When two nations are at war and one side wants to concede to the other, they know that the international sign of surrender is hands raised in the air. I have seen countless pictures of soldiers surrendering in this way. In essence, they are saying, “I give up control. I am giving up what I am fighting for and placing my life in your hands to be at your mercy.” It is a physical outward sign to show what is going on inside.
The next thing that I want to note about this position of surrender is that the hands are high above the head. Why is this so important? I believe one reason is that with the hands high, there is little to no chance that the soldier can reach down and grab at anything. They are completely exposed and bare.
Would you now look at this concept in the view of worship? When we worship God, we have to make HIM the entire object of our worship. But that is hard to do right? I mean, sometimes there are a thousand other things vying for our attention. Menial things perhaps, like what is for lunch or what you have to do before the week begins. Or maybe they are even more pressing. Maybe it is a struggle to worship because you have unconfessed sin in your life or you feel guilty because you are doubting God. Whatever it is, we are not truly worshipping if God is not the focus. So where do we start? Surrender! We have to step aside and lay down anything that is keeping us from looking fully at God and lifting Him up.
Lifting our hands in worship to our King can be an outward expression of what is going on inside of our hearts. We are saying, just like the soldier, “I give up control. I am giving up what I am fighting for and placing my life in your hands to be at your mercy.” Thankfully, we can do this and know that we are safe in the loving hands of our creator who would never harm us.
So hands raised high in focused surrender to God leaves little room for us to quickly reach down and grab at the things of our heart that keep us from Him. It shows the Lord that our goal is to give up our pride, our ego, our thoughts and our plans for His glory and whatever it is He desires for us. It helps to take the “me” out of worship.
Like I said, this is only one reason that we can raise our hands in worship. I am not saying that it is the only reason. But sometimes, broken down, it is easier to understand.
It is my prayer that you would worship God today. He loves to hear the praises of His people.

Mariah

The Holy Spirit Dwells With You

2009-08-04T21:32:00.000-07:00

John 14:15-17 “If you love Me, keep My commandments. And I will pray the Father and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever- the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you.”

Jesus was speaking to the disciples when He said this. Before Jesus died and rose again, people had to give sacrifices to be in right standing with God, but once Jesus rose from the dead, the Holy Spirit became available to ALL who would BELIEVE in Jesus as Lord and Savior. It’s interesting that Jesus made it very clear that only those who believe would understand who the Spirit of truth is. Once we recognize our need for God to come in and transform our lives, our eyes begin to “see” what God is all about. I am thankful for the Holy Spirit in my life. He has changed my heart and my life and shown me truth that I did not see before I asked God into my life.

Prayer

2009-07-15T14:09:00.000-07:00

Prayer is essential to our relationship with
God. Not only does our prayer (conversation
with God) put us in communication with the
Living God as he hears our requests, it puts
us in the position of the "created" in
relationship to the "Creator" (God). I have
learned that instead of just telling God
what I need and most of the time what I
want, I can use my time in prayer to praise
and worship Him. I call out to the Lord in
the names I read about in the Bible and tell
Him how much I love Him. I also keep a shorter
account of the sins I have committed and ask
for forgiveness and for God to cleanse me (we
are made clean by the blood of Jesus Christ).
He changes my heart when I spend time with
Him. I start to understand what it means
to become more like Christ.
Some people say, "I don't know how to pray". If
you know how to have a conversation with another
person, you can pray. Sometimes we hear people
pray and we think we can never pray like them.
God doesn't want us to pray like anybody else-
He wants us to be ourselves and open our hearts to Him.
All God asks is that we humble ourselves and come
to Him. If we come before God to pray, He will
make Himself and His ways known to us. Jeremiah 33:3
says, "Call to Me (God), and I will answer you,
and show you great and mighty things, which you
do not know." I love that verse- as long as I
call to God, He will answer!
Recently my Bible study group got together for prayer.
We broke up into groups of 3-4 women and brought
our requests before the Lord. We also sat and
waited and "listened" to the Lord. I encourage
you to find somebody to pray with. It is very
powerful to come before the Lord with a bond
as sisters in Christ and it's also very humbling.
I'm reminded when I do that it's not about me.
It's all about God. He is our focus, He is our
strength, He is our teacher, He is our Lord!
If you sit and get quiet before God, ask Him
if He has anything He wants to show you. Write
down what comes to your mind. If you don't feel
like you are getting anything on your mind, ask
God questions or start praising Him again. It
may take some time, but you will learn how to
"hear" from God. Remember, the promise in the
Bible is that "He will show us great and mighty
things."

God Bless You, Leah Amico

So excited about our website! www.godscallministries.com

2009-07-04T11:25:00.001-07:00

I am so excited that our website is almost
complete!! We have been in a time of waiting
to see what God is going to do next with us
and where He wants us to go. I know God's
timing is perfect so I will trust Him and
wait patiently! That can be so hard sometimes,
especially when we want something really bad,
and even harder when we know we desire to bring
Him glory! But God's ways are higher than our
ways and His thoughts are higher than our thoughts.
He sees the big picture!

Until we go out as a group again, I am excited
to talk about our website. We will be using our
blog to share what God is putting on our hearts or
what we have been up to and our website will be
a place that people can check out our videos, our
bios, our recommended books, and also join our mailing
list or contact us! So exciting! I think you'll
get a feel for our different personalities through
our blog! I love the fact that we can all be so
different and have such a common bond when we
seek God with all our hearts!

Have a great 4th of July everybody!

Leah Amico

Website coming VERY SOON! www.godscallministries.com

2009-05-07T11:46:00.000-07:00

We are excited to announce that our website (godscallministries.com) will be coming out very soon. We'll keep you posted. God has given us a passion to be open, real and transparent and we share about the transforming power of God and victory we have in Jesus Christ alone. God wants His children to CALL out to Him and He also has a CALLING for each and every one of us! As we share, our purpose is to bring glory to God in all that we do and say. We are answering God's Call on our lives and encourage you to do the same. Seek Him and He will be found!

Jeremiah 33:3: "CALL to Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know."

Romans 10:13: "For whoever CALLS on the name of the Lord shall be saved."

2 Peter 1:10,11: "Therefore, brethren, be even more diligent to make your CALL and election sure, for if you do these things you will never stumble; for so an entrance will be supplied to you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ."

(Card Featured by Heather Negrete; heathernegrete.com)

Alisa Medders

2009-05-07T11:36:00.001-07:00

Alisa Medders has just returned to Corona, California after spending two years with her family in Seattle, Washington. She enjoys giving God glory as He has proven faithful as her Rock. Alisa is compelled to share her testimony of self-destruction and the radical transformation that took place when she met Christ. She offers hope to women of all ages that Christ alone can bring. As a former high school teacher she has a passion for speaking to young women. She is married to David Medders and is the mother of three children. Alisa and her family attend Crossroads Church in Corona, CA.

Zsanae Miller

2009-05-07T11:21:00.000-07:00

Zsanae Miller has been blessed with a life that proves God’s amazing love, character, mercy and grace. Growing up with an abusive father, Zsanae has a passion to share of the Everlasting Father who heals, restores, and transforms. She enjoys sharing that Jesus longs to give more than just healing; He longs to give new life. God has blessed Zsanae with 11 years of marriage to Kevin. Together they have a daughter and a son who continue to show that God blesses with incredible gifts. They currently reside in Corona, California and attend Calvary Chapel Corona.

Mariah Langford

2009-05-07T11:12:00.001-07:00

Mariah Langford began singing for Jesus at the age of nine. After years of singing for the Lord, she has stepped into the call of God on her life to be a full time worship leader. She believes that God has created her to inspire people to be passionate about the God of the universe and to exalt Him, and Him alone, high above anything else. Mariah says that it is a great honor to lead people in lifting up their voices to the King of Kings and will do so as long as she has breath. Mariah lives in Corona with her husband and two children and is currently a worship leader on staff at Inland Hills Church in Chino Hills, CA.

Leah Amico

2009-05-07T10:53:00.001-07:00

Leah Amico is a 3-Time Olympic Gold Medalist with USA Softball (1996, 2000, 2004). She has been able to share about her Olympic experiences, but her passion is to speak about God's transforming power. Leah wants others to know that God has specific plans for each of our lives and encourages others to live a life of boldness and confidence. In the past 12 years, Leah has spoken at schools, churches and many different events. She is also a host, along with A.C. Green and Frank Pastore, on the Christian Sports Show "More Than Conquerors" airing on the Trinity Broadcasting Network. Leah has been featured in a number of devotional books and Sports Devotional Bibles. Leah is married to Tommy Amico and is the mother of 3 boys. She resides in Corona, CA and attends Calvary Chapel Chino Hills. For more information, go to www.leah20.com or follow her blog at www.leah20.blogspot.com.

Answering God's Call

2009-05-07T10:37:00.000-07:00

These were two of our favorite photos of the day.

Isaiah 43:1: "Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have CALLED you by your name; You are Mine."

God's Call Ministries

2009-05-07T10:30:00.000-07:00

These pictures where taken by Michaela (www.staircasephotography.com). She was so kind to help us out! We had a great time if you can't tell.

Golfing anyone?

2009-05-07T10:27:00.000-07:00

We were taking pictures at the golf course at Trilogy in Corona, CA and some nice people told us to drive the cart down the hill where we were taking our next shots. The problem was that we took some pictures and by the time we were done, they needed the cart back! I guess walking is exercise right?!

Speaking

2009-05-07T10:16:00.000-07:00

Mariah wasn't here for this part of the shoot, so we took some pictures of
the three of us. (Alisa, Zsanae and Leah)**Photos by Michaela: Staircasephotography.com

To God Be the Glory

2009-05-07T09:48:00.000-07:00

Heather Negrete took some pictures for us so she could help us put together a card to show people what we're all about. They turned out great and we loved the pictures. Thanks Heather! (www.heathernegrete.com)

1 Corinthians 1:26-27: "For you see your CALLING brethren, that not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called. But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty."

Following God's Call for our lives!

2009-05-07T08:48:00.000-07:00

Photography by Heather Negrete

Walking By Faith and Not By Sight!

2009-05-07T08:37:00.000-07:00

Unmasked Conference

2009-03-30T07:57:00.000-07:00

What an amazing day!! God's presence was so evident at Unmasked (our first conference) at Crossroads Church in Corona. We had amazing worship by Mariah, and each speaker (Alisa, Zsanae, Leah and Kathryn) shared from their hearts about the amazing promises and truth that our God has for us all! There were tears and laughter. We sang praises and prayed to our Almighty God! It was a day of being transparent and real with other women. We left encouraged to fight the good fight and keep the faith, but we were also challenged to take our thoughts captive and renew our minds with God's truth. We were reminded not to ask God "why?" in the hard times, but instead "what do you want me to do with this God? and "how can I use this to help somebody else?" We know we are in a battle, the Bible tells us this, and we were reminded to seek God with all our hearts and set aside time to hear from God so we can be victorious every day. All glory and praise goes to God! He called us for this moment and we are following His lead by faith! Thank you to all who attended the conference and for sharing the amazing stories of how God spoke to you that day! May His perfect love cover you and shine through you! God's Call

2009-02-10T18:30:00.000-08:00

UNMASKED: WOMEN'S CONFERENCE: MARCH 14, 2009
Come and hear us at Crossroads Christian Church in Corona (http://www.crossroadschurch.com/) on March 14. We are speaking at a Women's Conference: Unmasked. Joining us to speak is Kathryn Leonard, Head of Women's Ministry at Crossroads. For more information on Kathryn, go to the Crossroads website. The topics we will cover are: Unmasking Your Passion, Unmasking the Source, Unmasking the Confusion, Unmasking the Heart of Worship, and Unmasking God's Voice. We believe God is going to do a mighty work and we want to be obedient to share what He has called us to share. Don't miss out- this is for women of all ages (high school girls included). We all attend different churches and believe this is for all women in surrounding communities that need to hear God's truth and want to lay down their masks!